What Richter+Frenzel does

Richter+Frenzel is a privately held German sanitary, heating and air-conditioning (SHK) wholesaler headquartered in Würzburg, founded in 1895 and operating under a GmbH + Co. KG structure. The company runs a dual-channel model: approximately 160 ProfiStores serve trade professionals (plumbers, heating installers) for wholesale purchases, while approximately 70 BäderStores function as consumer-facing bathroom showrooms under the "Traumbad aus einer Hand" (dream bathroom from a single source) proposition. Distribution is concentrated entirely in Germany across 190 locations, supported by logistics centers in Herten, Kerpen-Türnich and Kempten.

The product portfolio spans sanitary, heating, installation, ventilation, civil engineering (Tiefbau) and tools, combining third-party premium brands with proprietary lines including Optiline (installation, heating and ventilation equipment) and the FOR and VÉO bathroom brands with collections such as Odivis, Leano, MyStyle, Tavona, Bathment and YUNA. Digital infrastructure includes the R+F Badplaner 3D planning tool for consumers, the RF24 Online-Shop and R+F ProfiPortal with DATANORM integration for trade customers, the R+F UnternehmensApp, R+F ProfiChat (WhatsApp-based), R+F ProWeb, a Filter-Finder, a Barcode-Scanner and realityMobile, alongside the Handwerkerfinder that matches consumers to vetted Fachhandwerkspartner installers. The R+F Fördermittel-Service adds subsidy/funding advisory for heating renovation projects, and wholly-owned subsidiaries R+F TBU (Tiefbau / civil engineering) and R+F VGO (Objektgeschäft / project business) extend the operating scope.

The revenue model is transactional wholesale and retail distribution, with B2B pricing through account-based trade relationships and B2C pricing set during in-showroom consultation. The go-to-market is sales-led, combining field sales, branch counter sales and digital ordering, with the consumer channel supported by showroom experiences, social media presence (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, XING) and content marketing. Customer concentration is low, spread across many SMB trade customers and walk-in private consumers, and the business is exposed primarily to the German residential and small-commercial construction and renovation cycle.

Name

Richter+Frenzel

Legal name

Richter+Frenzel GmbH + Co. KG

Website

https://richter-frenzel.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1895

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Richter+Frenzel is a German sanitary, heating and air-conditioning wholesaler with 190 locations, 4,500 employees, 70 BäderStores and 160 ProfiStores, serving trade professionals and private consumers across Germany through wholesale, showroom and digital channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Würzburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices20 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Wholesale B2B Trade Sales: Core revenue stream from wholesale distribution of sanitary, heating, and air conditioning (SHK) products to trade professionals (craftsmen, plumbers, heating installers). Products sold include own brands (Optiline, FOR, VÉO) and premium third-party brands. Customers order through ProfiStores, ProfiPortal, RF24 Online-Shop, or via sales representatives.
2. Retail B2C Bathroom Sales: Revenue from private end customers visiting BäderStores (bathroom showrooms) for consultation, planning, and purchase of bathroom products. The company connects customers with trade partners for installation services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Richter+Frenzel is a leading German sanitary wholesale (Sanitärgroßhandel) company that distributes sanitary, heating, ventilation, installation, civil engineering, and tools products. It serves trade professionals (craftsmen, plumbers, heating installers) via approximately 160 ProfiStores and digital B2B platforms (RF24 Online-Shop, ProfiPortal with DATANORM), and serves private end customers via approximately 70 BäderStores (bathroom showrooms) with 3D planning and connections to vetted installers. The company also offers proprietary own-brand product lines (Optiline, FOR, VÉO) alongside premium third-party brands.

Product overview

Richter+Frenzel operates as a leading sanitary wholesale company (Sanitärgroßhandel) in Germany with 190 locations and approximately 4,500 employees. The company's product portfolio is organized around two main pillars: (1) proprietary brands including Optiline (own-brand product line covering sanitary products, installation systems, heating pumps and accessories, and ventilation equipment), FOR (modular bathroom furniture with collections Odivis, Leano, MyStyle, Tavona, Bathment), and VÉO (bathroom brand with YUNA faucets, ceramics, vanity units, shower solutions, and heated towel rails); and (2) the broader R+F Sortiment covering Sanitär, Heizung, Installation, Lüftung, Tiefbau, and Werkzeug categories. The company complements its physical product offering with digital services including the R+F Badplaner (3D bathroom planning tool), RF24 Online-Shop, R+F ProfiChat (WhatsApp contact), R+F UnternehmensApp, R+F ProWeb, Filter-Finder, Barcode-Scanner, realityMobile, and R+F Fördermittel-Service (subsidy advisory). The company also operates approximately 70 BäderStores (bathroom showrooms) and around 160 ProfiStores for trade professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Optiline: Own brand product line including sanitary products, installation, heating, and ventilation solutions
• FOR
• VÉO
• R+F Badplaner
• R+F TBU
• ProfiStore
• BäderStore

Products and services

• Optiline Richter+Frenzel's proprietary own-brand product line covering sanitary products (drain channels, floor drains, dispenser systems, whirlpools, recycling), installation products (pipe systems, water treatment, pumps), heating products (drinking water pumps, solar systems, pellet/camin ovens), and ventilation products (exhaust systems, air heaters, air filters, room climate units, residential ventilation with heat recovery). Available to trade professionals through ProfiStores and digital channels.
• FOR Richter+Frenzel's premium own-brand bathroom furniture and ceramics line, including collections Odivis, Leano, MyStyle, Tavona, and Bathment. Distributed to trade professionals and showcased in BäderStores for private consumers.
• VÉO Richter+Frenzel's premium own-brand bathroom line offering YUNA faucets and accessories, bathroom ceramics, vanity units, bath and shower trays, shower enclosures, and bathroom radiators. Showcased in BäderStores for private consumers.
• R+F Sortiment Core R+F wholesale assortment covering Sanitär (sanitary), Heizung (heating), Installation, Lüftung (ventilation), Tiefbau (civil engineering), and Werkzeug (tools) categories for trade professionals. Includes both own-brand and third-party premium brand products.
• R+F Badplaner Digital 3D bathroom planning tool that allows private customers to plan room dimensions, select products from R+F's assortment, and visualize complete bathroom concepts in realistic 3D from home. Accessible online and used in connection with BäderStore consultation appointments.
• RF24 Online-Shop 24/7 digital B2B commerce platform enabling registered trade professionals to research and order sanitary, heating, and installation products through their tradesperson software. Includes integration with trade workflows.
• R+F ProfiPortal B2B customer portal for registered trade professionals providing access to a download center, promotional materials, and digital services including DATANORM for article and master data exchange with tradesperson software.
• R+F Fördermittel-Service Subsidy and funding advisory service that helps customers (trade professionals and end customers) navigate available government incentives and funding programs for heating and renovation projects.
• R+F UnternehmensApp Mobile application for trade professionals providing convenient mobile access to R+F services, product information, and ordering functionality.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Craft Trade Partners (Fachhandwerkspartner)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of vetted craftsmen (plumbers, heating installers) who provide installation services for private customers purchasing products through R+F BäderStores. The company positions this as 'Traumbad aus einer Hand' (dream bathroom from a single source) - coordinating consultation, planning, products, and installation through a trusted network. Partners are searchable through the Handwerkerfinder on the website.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hornbach: Hornbach is a major German home improvement and DIY retailer with significant sanitary/heating assortments and project customer service — comparable as a competitor for B2C bathroom projects though R+F's trade-led model is distinct.
• Bauhaus: Bauhaus is a leading European home improvement and DIY retail chain with strong bathroom/heating assortments and Fachhandwerker service programs, overlapping with R+F's BäderStore proposition from a different angle (DIY-led rather than trade-led).
• Würth: Würth is a global direct-to-trade specialist in tools, fasteners, and installation products with a German sales force comparable in scale and trade-customer intimacy to R+F's ProfiStore network, though broader in product scope.
• Hagebau: Hagebau is a major German building materials and DIY cooperative with sanitary/heating assortments, broader than R+F in scope (DIY + trade) but overlapping materially on SHK distribution and trade professional service.
• Saint-Gobain Distribution Deutschland: Saint-Gobain Distribution Germany operates building solutions distribution (including Sanitär/Heizung via brands like HTI) with strong trade-customer focus, comparable to R+F's ProfiStore + project business model and footprint strategy.

Direct peers

• Reisser: Reisser is a German specialist sanitary and heating wholesaler with comparable trade-counter and showroom operations, competing most directly with R+F's ProfiStore and BäderStore formats in southern Germany.
• Kemmler: Kemmler is a regional German sanitary wholesale and bathroom specialist with ProfiCenter showrooms and trade professional service, directly comparable to R+F in assortment, customer base, and go-to-market.
• GC-Gruppe: GC-Gruppe is Germany's largest sanitary, heating, and plumbing wholesale group with affiliated Haustechnik partners, directly overlapping R+F's SHK wholesale + Fachhandwerker model across B2B and B2C channels.

Regional players

• SHT Sanitär- und Heizungstechnik: SHT is a leading sanitary and heating wholesaler in Austria/DACH region, with a similar Fachhandwerker-led model and own-brand strategy; relevant as a comparable for international expansion benchmarks even though R+F is Germany-only.

Emerging players

• BTI Befestigungstechnik: BTI is a German specialist distributor of fastening, tool, and sanitary/installation products serving tradespeople — overlapping with R+F's Werkzeug and Installation categories and its ProfiStore trade professional customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xxing.com/pages/richter-frenzelgmbh-co-kg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/RichterPlusFrenzel
• Facebookfacebook.com/richterfrenzel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/richter-frenzel
• Instagraminstagram.com/baeder_wellness
• Pinterestat.pinterest.com/richterundfrenzel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Richter+Frenzel